


Screening Senses

by Cân Cennau (cancennau)



Series: Llenwadau Bingo Trôp Slâc OTW (2016) [4]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Autism, Autistic Hermann, Autistic Newt, Lack of Communication, M/M, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-26
Updated: 2016-09-26
Packaged: 2018-08-17 11:58:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8142988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cancennau/pseuds/C%C3%A2n%20Cennau
Summary: Prompt: poor communication skills.Newt plans a date night at the cinema, but Hermann is not looking forward to it.





	

Honestly, Hermann had no idea why he agreed to this. This… this  _ date. _

It wasn’t that dating Newton was a chore, or in any way terrible. During the Kaiju war, they only had time for lunch dates in the mess hall, quick interludes in darkened corners and under bedclothes. But now that was at least under control, if not sorted, they had a lot more time on their hands. Which meant far more elaborate dates, which Hermann mainly enjoyed - candlelit dinners, stargazing, museums...

But honestly, a  _ cinema _ .

Since the premiere of a reboot of one of Newt’s all-time favourite movies, Hermann had been the recipient of Newt’s nattering infodumps far more often. It wasn’t long before Newt had booked tickets, and had brightly asked Hermann to go with him. Of course Hermann had said yes - there were very few occasions where he turned Newt down when something was very obviously important to him - but truly. A  _ cinema _ .

It wasn't that he hated films - more that he hated where they were held and how they were played. The lights were always too bright, the sound always too loud and always shook his bones in precisely the wrong way, and that was not to mention the constant  _ munch munch munch  _ of other cinema goers as they munched on popcorn. Hermann knew there was a place in town that offered freshly baked hot dogs and doughnuts, which perfectly rounded out the sensory hell that was going to a cinema. Luckily, Newt had chosen a smaller cinema in the next town over today, which was less of an affront to his senses.

“It’s going to be great, Hermann!” Newt told him, as he packed his small rucksack. “Mako was telling me - apparently this one’s more like the old  _ Star Trek  _ movies.”

“That’s good to hear.” Hermann replied, idly tapping his leg with his cane. “I hope there are less lens flares this time around.”

“Oh man, me too! When I saw the first one with Mako, I kept having to shut my eyes when they flashed on screen.” Newt shuddered. “Of course, that was before Mako gave me the sunglasses tip-”

“Sunglasses tip?”

“Yeah-” Newt rooted around in his bag, before pulling out a battered pair of aviator sunglasses. “The sunglasses tip. You wear sunglasses when you watch a film, and it takes the edge off the glare.”

Hermann blinked. “That’s a…  _ novel _ solution.”

“I guess. I honestly thought Mako was wearing them to be cool, but then she explained…” With a fond pat to the frames, Newt packed the sunglasses back into his bag. “What do you do to avoid the glariness?”

“I, uh… It doesn’t really bother me all that much.” Hermann knew as soon the lie slipped out that Newt was not buying it. He was never a very good liar.

“Hermann,” Newt began, brow knotting into a frown. “I know you. I know how your senses work-”

“Newton-”

“-no, I’ve been inside your head, I _know._ You don’t have a ‘doesn't bother me much’ switch. It’s either ‘too much’ or ‘nothing at all’ with you. So which is it?”

“Honestly, it’s not a bother-”

_ “Hermann.” _

Somewhere along the line Newt had abandoned his rucksack and had approached him. He held his hands out, palms up - an invitation. Gingerly, Hermann set his cane aside and took Newt’s warm hands in his own, his own face burning with shame.

“Hermann.” Newt said quietly. “Be honest with me - how much do you hate the cinema?”

“I’ll be fine-"

“Hermann,  _ please. _ ”

Something in the other man’s voice made him pause, then sigh. “I...dislike them. A lot.”

“And you weren’t going to tell me?”

“I… didn’t want to spoil things. This is important to you.”

“Not more important than you! Dude, we could’ve done something different- I could’ve gone with Mako-"

“No - you misunderstand.” Hermann took a deep breath, and tried to organize his thoughts. “I… want to go with you. I want to take part in things you enjoy, in your special interests.”

“But you hate the cinema.”

“The sensory hell is worth it to see you happy.”

“Oh.” Newt paused, then laughed. “Oh, _Hermann._ _Dude._ You absolutly ridiculous, romantic _sap.”_

Hermann frowned at him, but Newt disregarded the expression, tugging a little on his hands in a sign that meant he wanted a hug. Hermann grudgingly allowed him into his arms, and barely held back an eyeroll as Newt dissolved into giggles on his shoulder.

“ _ God,  _ Hermann.” Newt said, once his laughter had faded. “Didn’t you think about maybe  _ asking  _ how  _ I _ coped with it?”

“You go so often- I thought it didn't affect you-”

“Of course it did - look, come here-" Newt opened his rucksack again, and set down a few objects on the desk - the battered sunglasses, a small Koosh ball, a quartz pendant and a set of ear defenders.

“Sunglasses,” Newt pointed to them. “I explained what those are for. Ear defenders, for the sound-”

“I thought you liked loud sounds.”

“I do - but film sounds are so loud that they make your bones vibrate. I can't deal with both feelings at once.”

“I see.”

“There’s also my Koosh ball, which I play with so I can sit still when watching the film. And my pendant - you know when there’s a really emotional scene, and it puts you on edge cause you’re feeling too many things?”

Hermann shook his head. “I know what you mean, but I don't experience that.”

“Oh, of course - you're  _ hypo-empathetic,  _ and I’m  _ hyper.  _ But yeah, the quartz helps ground me, keeps me from drowning in it.”

“I understand.” Hermann smiled at him, and Newt beamed back.

“I know I look a bit weird with my stuff,” he continued. “but it helps. And the staff know me, so they don’t mind. And I have spares, so if you want to borrow something…”

Feeling a little happier about their excursion now, Hermann quickly pressed a kiss to his cheek. 

“I think I might. Thank you, Newton.”


End file.
